Geely Starray Em-I vs Toyota Yaris Cross

What's the difference?

While it has a few quirks and flaws, there is a lot to like about the Starray. For starters, the value it offers at its price point is excellent and will really put pressure on its competition. The design may lack flair, but it does have a roomy cabin with a good multimedia system, so it’s family friendly and easy to live with.

Yes, it could do with some refinement of its on-road manners and driver assistance features, but for the value it offers and the frugal powertrain, it will no doubt find plenty of buyers who enjoy its substance and not just its memorable name.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals and accomodation provided.

The Toyota Yaris Cross Urban is a city-savvy SUV that’s easy to park, nimble in traffic, and relatively fun to drive. It’s cute as a button on the outside, but the cabin doesn’t quite match the price, and some of the tech feels a little behind the times compared to rivals. The hybrid powertrain definitely earns it points but is it worth the jump in price over its rivals? A hesitant yes, because who doesn't like efficiency? But it needs a cabin upgrade to stay truly competitive in our market.

Geely is very proud of the Starray, of course, and the company gave a very detailed presentation on the thought behind the design - involving aerodynamics, Chinese ceramics and a video that appeared to show a Geely spaceship releasing the Starray into a barren landscape.

But to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t know how to describe it to you. The Starrary is a very generic looking car to my eyes, at least. Of course it’s subjective, and there is a clear visual connection between the Starray and the EX5, which is nice. But it just doesn’t have any real visual impact that makes it stand out.

It’s the automotive equivalent of a blank expression. Maybe it’s because the brand is so new, but if you removed the badges, there’s nothing about the Starray that screams ‘I’m a Geely’, and it could be a car from any number of brands.

By comparison, there is a distinctive visual style to Geely’s rivals, namely BYD, both externally and internally, to give it character. Obviously the same is very much true for bigger brands like Hyundai, Kia and even Toyota.

Perhaps with more time Geely will make more of a design impact on our market, but for now it’s hard to say it really has any standout design elements.

The Yaris Cross is genuinely adorable. It's compact enough to slip into tight city spaces, yet proportioned well enough that it never looks toy-like. Its upright stance gives it a bit of attitude, and the chunky black plastic moulding around the base actually works in its favour, adding a tough, almost adventurous edge.

The rear is one of its best angles, with crisp LED tail-lights and a clean, sculpted shape that gives it more presence than you’d expect from something this small.

Inside, though, things don’t climb to the same heights. There’s a lot of hard plastic throughout, and while the synthetic leather and cloth upholstery looks decent, it doesn't elevate the space. The tech is well positioned and the layout is tidy, making it a pleasant cabin overall but there’s an unmistakable sense of 'nice, but not quite enough,' especially given what you’re paying.

The one area the designers do deserve a lot of credit for is the roomy cabin. Too often modern electric or hybrid SUVs compromise interior space in the name of aerodynamics, but the Starray has generous interior space.

The front seats are comfortable and roomy, but more impressive are the rear seats. They not only offer good kneeroom and head clearance, but the seats themselves are comfortable and supportive. 

As for cargo space, the boot has 428 litre of space, which is on par with BYD Sealion 6, but smaller than the 507 litres offered by the MG HS. Space can expand to 2065 litres with the second row dropped to load larger items.

Despite the modest boot capacity, the Starray doesn’t come with a full-size spare wheel, or even a spacesaver, and instead you have to make do with a tyre repair kit.

In terms of the multimedia system, there’s a huge 15.4-inch display that takes up a lot of space, and does look like someone just glued a big iPad to the dashboard. Then there’s the increasingly common 10.2-inch rectangular digital instrument display ahead of the steering wheel.

While this setup is highly functional, it does add to the generic design mentioned earlier. It also lacks any meaningful physical buttons, with the key audio and air-con functions all housed in the giant centre screen.

Standard on both Starray grades is Geely’s Connected Services, which includes a voice assistant, 4G connectivity, live traffic updates for the in-built sat-nav, over-the-air updates, as well as online streaming, remote vehicle functions and access to Geely’s own app store.

The over-the-air updates are important, because it will allow the company to change the car over time. For example, at launch it includes wireless Apple CarPlay, but Android Auto won’t be wireless until an over-the-air update early in 2026.

The Inspire features a premium sound system from Geely’s own Flyme brand, and it’s impressive. The 16-speaker, 1000W system is powerful and offers good clarity, so it’s worth the extra spend on the higher grade on its own.

The front row is easily the best place to be, with the most comfort and creature comforts on offer. Only the driver’s seat is powered, and the controls not the most intuitive to use but both seats have decent padding and single-level heating that makes longer drives more bearable. The new centre armrest feels like an afterthought as it sits too low and tilts too far forward to be truly comfortable.

The rear row is cosy and realistically suited to two adults. Behind my driving position (I’m 168cm), there’s enough knee and head room, but the smaller door apertures may make loading child seats a bit fiddly. You do get two ISOFIX points and three top tethers, but two seats will fit best. My nine-year old loves how light the doors are to open and close, though he isn’t thrilled about the taller windowsills as they block a fair bit of the outside world for smaller passengers.

Storage is better than expected up front with a mid-size glovebox, a storage tray underneath the air-vents and climate control panel. There are two cupholders and drink bottle holders in each row and the rear also gets a single map pocket.

The 8.0-inch media display shares is straightforward to use and the touchscreen is responsive. It’s easy to connect to the wireless Apple CarPlay and it maintained a steady connection all week. The basic sound system can sound a bit tinny when you’re full-pelt on the highway but is otherwise sufficient.

You miss out on a wireless charging pad on all grade levels, which I really missed, and the only two USB-C ports in the car are up front.

Boot space depends on the drivetrain. The front-wheel-drive Urban has a decent 390L, which feels competitive. The Stonic can take 352L. The all-wheel-drive version offers less at 314L, which is smaller than the Juke (422L).

In real-world terms, groceries, school gear and my son’s extracurricular chaos all fit without complaint. You also get an adjustable boot floor, a temporary spare wheel (not always a given in a hybrid) and a powered tailgate for extra convenience.

The Yaris Cross range spans four grades, and for this review we’re in the second-from-the-top Urban. The GR Sport is technically the flagship, but the Urban feels like the smarter pick as it carries most of the premium features without climbing the price ladder just to wear a GR badge. A badge that doesn’t mean as much here as it does elsewhere in Toyota’s line-up. A GR performance hot hatch it is not.

Priced from $36,930 before on-road costs, the Urban front-wheel drive is pricier than some of its closest rivals. The Nissan Juke Ti is a touch pricier at $37,940, while the Kia Stonic GT-Line is a much cheaper $32,480. Both competitors also offer rear USB ports, and the Juke adds dual 12.3-inch displays and a much larger boot, so the premium you’re paying here really comes down to the Urban’s hybrid powertrain.

Other hybrid rivals include the freshly launched Suzuki Fronx (from $28,990) or the slightly larger Chery Tiggo 4 hybrid ($34,990 drive-away for the Ultimate).

This model-year update brings a modest bump in equipment, now including wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, cloud-based satellite navigation, an armrest up front and illuminated vanity mirrors.

The practical bits are covered with a powered driver’s seat, keyless entry, push-button start, a temporary spare tyre, single-zone climate control, and a powered tailgate.

A few bougie touches like the cloth/synthetic leather mix and heated front seats help lift the cabin, too.

Tech-wise, you get an 8.0-inch touchscreen, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, a coloured head-up display, digital radio, Bluetooth, steering-wheel controls and a 360-degree camera system. A standard audio setup rounds things out.

All up, it’s got enough but only just.

There is no mechanical difference between the Starray Complete and Inspire. Geely has developed a new naturally aspirated 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that pairs with an electric motor for a combined output of 193kW.

Power is sent to the front wheels only, with no all-wheel drive option. 

There are three driving modes - Pure, Hybrid and Power - with the former able to lock the car into EV-only driving, while the latter is able to combine the electric and petrol engine for maximum performance.

Even so, Geely’s 0-100km/h claim is only a modest 8.0 seconds and has a limited top speed of 170km/h, which is fine for Australian conditions.

All Yaris Cross variants share the same 1.5-litre three-cylinder hybrid setup, producing 85kW of power combined and 120Nm of torque from the petrol engine. Toyota does not provide combined torque figures for its hybrid powertrains.

On paper, those numbers look a bit anaemic but in practice the hybrid system does a good job of masking the low torque. Around town, it feels livelier than you’d expect, with that electric assist giving it just enough punch to feel almost spritely off the line.

Our test car is the front-wheel-drive version, but you can opt for all-wheel drive for a couple of grand extra.

Compared with rivals, the Yaris Cross lands in an interesting middle ground. The Nissan Juke makes 84kW of power, while the Kia Stonic sits at 74kW.

And that’s really where the critique lands, because while the Yaris Cross feels zippy and eager at low speeds thanks to the hybrid boost, once you’re outside the city the torque deficit becomes harder to ignore. Overtaking and keeping up to speed aren’t the real issues - it’s more that the engine starts to whine like it’s under a bit of duress when you ask for more.

The electric motor is powered by an 18.4kWh lithium-iron phosphate battery, which provides a claimed EV-only range of 83km, which is good for a PHEV but no longer class-leading, with some now pushing into triple digits.

Thanks to the hybrid assistance, fuel consumption is rated at just 2.4L/100km, on the combined cycle. It’s worth noting that both of those figures are to the WLTP test cycle, not the more generous Chinese testing protocol.

With a 51-litre fuel tank and the 83km EV mileage, Geely claims a total combined driving range of 943km. However, as always, we must point out that it is not really possible to achieve that 2.4L claim once the battery is depleted.

One handy feature of these plug-in hybrids with the bigger batteries is the vehicle-to-load or V2L functionality, which allows you to draw power from the battery to power small electrical devices, such as laptops or camping equipment.

The Urban FWD has an impressively low claimed combined fuel consumption of 3.8L/100km, and with its 36L fuel tank, you’re looking at a theoretical driving range of up to 950km, which isn't bad for an urban trawler. In real-world use, including longer highway trips and everyday city errands, I averaged 4.4L/100km, which is still very efficient.

By comparison, the Nissan Juke Ti uses 5.8L/100km with a 46L tank, while the Kia Stonic GT-Line sits at 5.4L/100km with 45L. The Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid uses 5.4L as well.

The Yaris Cross not only sips fuel but makes the most of its smaller tank, which means the hybrid powertrain wins this round.

The good news is Geely gave the Starray a different ride and handling tune to what it offers in the Chinese market. The bad news is it’s the European tune.

Australian and European roads couldn’t be more different, with ours offering more potholes, bumps, dips, cracks and other imperfections that require more compliance than what’s needed for Europe’s typically smoother, less wrinkled roadways.

It means the Starray feels too firm for our back roads, but equally lacks body control at times too, so it’s not the most enjoyable SUV to drive on a winding country road. Around town the ride can get busy at times, but overall it feels better at lower speeds.

Just as importantly, the powertrain does a nice job in both conditions. It offers reasonable performance for this type of SUV, feeling slightly off the mark and effortlessly swapping between the electric motor and petrol engine.

We drove in EV mode initially and noticed the battery drained significantly in a short period, raising doubts about its ability to go 83km. However, as we switched to hybrid mode, we’ll have to reserve judgement and give Geely the benefit of the doubt when it comes to EV range.

Long story short, if Geely is serious about winning over Australian buyers, investing in local ride and handling tuning would help elevate the Starrary from just another imported SUV to something more memorable.

Power delivery is crisp and punctual, and while the engine can sound strained when you push it on the open road, it rarely translates into any noticeable lag. You won’t feel deep reserves of power, but there’s enough to keep up with traffic and overtake when needed.

Ride comfort is better than expected, with suspension that soaks up smaller bumps, and it corners confidently without too much body roll. The cabin picks up a lot of road noise, and there’s an annoying electric whine at lower speeds but it's easily drowned out with music.

Steering is on the lighter side but remains responsive, making the Yaris Cross genuinely easy to drive. It would make a great first car, or a simple, fuss-free choice for an older couple.

Visibility is excellent, giving you a solid sense of the car’s dimensions which is a big help when manoeuvring and that's even before you look at the 360-degree camera feed. Add in the small 10.6m turning circle, and parking this SUV is almost effortless. If you struggle, it’s not the car’s fault.

The Yaris Cross has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2021 and has eight airbags, including a front centre airbag, which is good for the segment. It scores well across individual assessment sections with an 86 per cent for both adult and child protection, 78 per cent for vulnerable road user and 82 per cent for its safety assist systems.

There is a healthy suite of safety equipment including lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, safe exit assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and auto high beam. There are also seatbelt reminders (audio/visual), two ISOFIX child-seat mounts and three top-tether anchor points.

The adaptive cruise control is fairly well calibrated, although it can occasionally slow down too much on a corner, and none of the safety systems are annoyingly intrusive. A welcome change as it’s been a while since I’ve been in a car that hasn’t yelled at me.

The Yaris Cross has autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with car, pedestrian, cyclist and intersection detection which is operational from 10 - 180km/h but it is more common to see this feature operate from 5.0km/h.

As Geely and many other new brands are learning, it’s easy to launch a new model into Australia, but it’s a whole different story to deal with the aftersales care - servicing, warranty, etc.

“We want to ensure every day with Geely is a good day,” said Li Lei, CEO of Geely Australia.

To that end, Geely has partnered with some of Australia’s biggest dealer groups to quickly expand to 47 dealers in less than 12 months. At the same time it has built two Parts Distribution Centres in Australia and has 135 service venues, to ensure if anything does go wrong with an owner’s car it can be fixed and returned as soon as possible.

Geely is offering a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for the Starray EM-i, along with an eight-year warranty of the battery pack. 

Servicing is annually or every 15,000km, whichever comes first, and with Geely’s Hybrid Assured Service Pricing you will pay $1932 over the first five years.

If you take up that offer and service with Geely, the company will also include seven years of roadside assistance too.

The Yaris Cross comes with Toyota’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, extendable up to seven years if you stick to servicing at a Toyota centre. That makes it more competitive as the Nissan Juke offers a 10-year term and the Kia Stonic comes standard with seven years.

Servicing is also straightforward and affordable, thanks to Toyota’s five-year capped-price program, with each service costing just $255. Intervals are well spaced at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.